Mitt Romney’s Obamacare Problem

GOP NOMINEE HAS NO RIGHT TO CRITICIZE SOCIALIZED MEDICINE LAW, COURT RULING

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has a decision on his hands … to slam or not to slam “Obamacare” in the wake of its surprise victory before the U.S. Supreme Court.

In its most important decision in more than a decade, the court ruled by the narrowest of margins that U.S. President Barack Obama’s socialized medicine plan is constitutional. The court also surprised many observers by upholding the law’s individual mandate – which compels Americans to purchase health insurance or pay a fine amounting to as much as 2.5 percent of their income.

This decision has (justifiably) infuriated fiscal conservatives and libertarians – as well as most Republican voters. Naturally Romney is going to want to tap into that angst.

But just how far can the GOP nominee go in slamming the court? After all, his own socialized medicine plan formed the blueprint for “Obamacare,” and Romney has been a steadfast supporter of the individual mandate (which he has referred in the past as the “personal responsibility principle”).

Don’t believe us? Take a look …

In the video above, Romney clearly says that he is “very pleased” that the individual mandate was included in the Massachusetts health care bill – touting it as “essential for bringing health care costs down for everyone and getting everybody the health insurance they deserve and need.”

Wow … Obama couldn’t have said it better himself.

But is that what really happened in Massachusetts? Did health care costs really decline?

Of course not. “Romneycare” drove up the cost of health insurance by an estimated $4.3 billion in the Bay State – killing more than 18,000 jobs. Additionally, fraud has been rampant, physician wait times have increased and the program is expected to exceed its original cost estimates by more than $2 billion over the coming decade.

In other words … exactly what’s about to happen on the national stage.

Romney may attempt to make hay on the “Obamacare” ruling, but to do so would be totally hypocritical …

UPDATE: Romney has issued a statement on the Supreme Court ruling: “What the court did not do on its last day in session, I will do on my first day if elected president of the United States. And that is I will act to repeal ObamaCare. What the court did today was say that ObamaCare does not violate the Constitution. What they did not do was say that ObamaCare is good law or that it’s good policy. ObamaCare was bad policy yesterday. It’s bad policy today.”